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A first glance at New Zealand Fashion Week

Michael Ng

Above Sabatini returned in force for its autumn–winter 2011 show at New Zealand Fashion Week. (All photographs by Michael Ng.)

Made for walking Kathryn Wilson launched her autumn–winter collection to a packed crowd. Glamazonian models stalked the runway in Wilson’s creations as part of the ﬁrst shoe show at this year’s New Zealand Fashion Week. Orange, mustards, animal and combat print combined to create a unique show of footwear. There was everything from thigh-high boots, suede fringed wedges, desert boots and booties to satisfy every shoe ﬁend. Friend and jewellery designer Boh Runga created specially crafted pieces of footwear jewellery for the collection.

Neon jungle The story of a girl going into the big smoke of the urban jungle mixed with ’80s-referenced neon colours inspired Andrea Moore’s autumn–winter 2011 collection. There was beautiful tailoring as always: tailored suiting and jackets featured heavily in camels, taupe, grey and blue, and were cinched in with military belts. Dresses came ﬂoaty and structured with asymmetrical necklines and rufﬂes, plain and spotted.

Jimmy D Jimmy D returned to the catwalk this season with a highly anticipated show and he did not disappoint. Entitled Until the Light Takes Us, the collection was tongue-in-cheek Jimmy D. Dark brooding Gothic punk sensibilities were mixed with sportswear and bondage. Billowy, oversized and draping are still there, but this season it was more reﬁned, with harness bondage-like strapping. Body-con panelled dress and ’80s sportwear references such as bum ﬂaps, racer backs and low-armhole singlets were all redeﬁned for a new generation. Collaboration with digital artist, painter, illustrator and print-maker Andrew McLeod also saw Norwegian black metal album art become prints on light-as-a-feather singlets and Ts. Meadowlark provided jewellery for the collection, creating bespoke thorns in silver and rubber, and skeletal-like T-shirts and singlets in silver chains which were layered over diaphanous silks.

The Adventures of Ruby Ruby’s début collection recalled girl guides and followed the spirit of the adventurer who then travelled to the mod ’60s. Checked shirts, shorts and dresss, puffy jackets, parkas and coats in a colour palette of forest green ochre, berry, brooding navy, mushroom and crisp blues were worn with desert boots. Salt ’n’ pepper socks reminded us of tramping in the hills.The Adventure takes a turn and heads to the ’60s where electric neon orange, metallic gold and patent leather featured. Waist-hugging tunics and skinny cigarette pants were paired with shaggy and chunky knits. A well executed and edited show for a début—it left you wanting more!

Lights, cameras, and Seattle Fashion Week

On a not-so-typical Seattle day, many people prepped months in advance for a much-anticipated week filled with fashion-related events. In a low-key setting, the Emerald City held a fashion week, showcasing local and international talent. Founded by Gabriel Chong, Seattle Fashion Week has existed since 2003 but has slowly opened the umbrella of unknown talent for the rest of the world to view. At the Emerging & Independent Designer show, the ambiance was a bit different backstage than what one would normally see behind the scenes at a fashion show. As you looked around, it was clear that this event was well planned. If there was massive chaos happening, it did not show. Maybe that’s because of the gracious space that everyone had backstage. Although the show began with an obviously smaller crowd than, say, in New York or San Francisco, there were a few designers who made an impression. Among them was Banchong Douangphrachanh, a calmly reserved Seattle native who showcased her menswear collection. Douangphrachanh graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and has worked for well-known Bay area brands Nice Collective and Vagadu. You may have viewed a glimpse of her work gracing your television screen already. Just check out Lady Gaga’s ‘Pokerface’ video, a reality that started from just a ‘sketch on a napkin,’ says the designer. As Douangphrachanh spoke about her inspiration, her meek personality resonated. She has taken Seattle men’s fashion and given it a ‘kick in the butt.’ The well made line was somewhere in between ready-to-wear, comfortable menswear, and non-restrictive tailoring. After speaking with Douangphrachanh, there’s deﬁnitely more to this designer’s creativity than meets the meticulous eye. The designer used nature, regatta racing, and other organic elements as inspiration. Her fashion line is so functional that even a mountaineer or hiker would ﬁnd it appealing. Her clothing showcases organic shapes and a well tailored menswear collection that is practical enough for the great Northwest yet styled without using ﬂeece or socks with sandals. The collection gleamed with ﬁtted puffed vests and the use of wool and outdoor fabrics like neoprene, Gore-Tex, and ripstop. Last but not least, kudos goes to the extra bonus of the evening: the House of Isaac Andrew Collection by Isaiah Whitmore, an Art Institute of Seattle gra...